Edward Francis Small

Edward Francis Small was born on January 29, 1891, in Bathurst (modern Banjul). After working as a missionary teacher in the provinces, he was dismissed for opposing colonial exploitation of rural farmers.

Small founded the Gambia Planters' Syndicate to organize peanut farmers and launched The Gambia Outlook and Senegambian Reporter. In 1929, he founded the Bathurst Trade Union and led a successful 82-day general strike—the first coordinated strike in Gambian history. In 1947, he was elected the first indigenous member of the Legislative Council, establishing Gambian representative democracy.